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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. branch — a division
  3. current — electric
  4. content — the amount
  5. wake — a trail
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. chest — a box
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. content — happy
  15. current — happening now
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chest — of your body
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. scale — size or range
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. current — of water
  24. snap — to click

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com